The present disclosure relates generally to the field of surgery. In particular, the present disclosure relates to, although not exclusively, medical devices that perform work on target tissue via application of energy. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to, although not exclusively, fluid control systems designed to control steam, smoke, or temperature within a surgical field to protect tissue adjacent to target tissue.
Many surgical procedures require application of energy to target tissue. For example, medical devices such as surgical instruments may apply energy to tissue to cut or ligate blood vessels or other internal tissue. In many such procedures, it is desirable to achieve the surgical outcome using a minimally invasive technique that reduces trauma to non-target tissue. For example, electrosurgical medical devices generally include an end effector having an electrical contact to provide energy to target tissue. Advanced energy sealers may apply ultrasonic vibrational or RF energy to raise the temperature of target tissue above 100° C., for example. At this temperature, collagen is denatured and water may boil off to allow vessel walls to approximate tightly. Tissue adjacent to target tissue, however, may be blanched by steam if sufficiently close. Application of energy such as RF energy to target tissue may similarly produce a smoke plume when the target tissue is cooked. The electrosurgical smoke may be hazardous because it impedes visibility and causes delay when a surgeon must wait for the smoke to dissipate before continuing a procedure. Another risk associated with the application of energy is the presence of splay electricity and hot surfaces that may damage adjacent tissue within the surgical field. Accordingly, there is a need to advance this technology to address these and other issues associated with the use of medical devices configured to apply energy such as advanced energy to target tissue.